Oliver Gilbert is headed to Congress, and the Florida A&M University alumnus will represent the South Florida community that raised him. On Tuesday night, the Miami-Dade County commissioner won Florida’s 24th Congressional District over Republican Te Mayonna Brown. As a result, he will succeed longtime Rep. Frederica Wilson in Washington.
CBS News projected the win shortly after polls closed. Then Gilbert celebrated with supporters in Miami Gardens, his hometown. The district leans heavily Democratic, so few expected a close race.
For FAMU, the win adds another Rattler to a historic night. In Georgia, fellow alumna Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governor’s race. In the Virgin Islands, alumnus Milton Potter won the lieutenant governor’s seat.
An HBCU Handoff in South Florida
Wilson has held the seat since 2011. She announced her retirement in May. Soon after, she endorsed Gilbert as her successor and urged voters to rally behind him.
That endorsement carried a quiet HBCU twist. Wilson is a Fisk University graduate. Now, a FAMU grad takes the baton from a Fisk grad.
Gilbert also picked up support from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. She praised him as a persistent voice who would keep the county on the federal map.
The district covers a big slice of eastern Miami-Dade and part of Broward. It includes communities like North Miami, Little Haiti and Hollywood. Local 10 has election night coverage from his Miami Gardens celebration.
The Real Battle Came in August
November was the easy part. The real fight came in the Aug. 18 Democratic primary. Seven candidates jumped into the race to replace Wilson.
Eventually, it came down to Gilbert and state Sen. Shevrin Jones. Jones held a steady lead in Broward. However, Miami-Dade makes up most of the district, and it swung toward Gilbert.
In the end, Gilbert took about 34% of the vote to Jones’ 32%. Jones conceded on primary night, even before the AP made its call. Gilbert also survived roughly $2 million in attack ads from the cryptocurrency lobby along the way.
Oliver Gilbert’s Road From Miami Gardens to Congress
Gilbert was born in Miami Gardens in 1972. He graduated from Miami Norland Senior High School. Then he headed north to Tallahassee.
At FAMU, he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Afterward, he started law school at St. Thomas University School of Law. Later, he transferred to the University of Miami School of Law, where he graduated with honors.
His first job in politics came in 2000. That year, state Rep. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall hired him fresh out of law school. He also worked as an assistant state attorney in Broward County.
His first campaign did not go well. In 2003, he lost a race for the new Miami Gardens city council. Still, he kept at it. In 2008, the city appointed him to the council.
From Mayor to County Chairman
Four years later, voters elected him mayor of Miami Gardens. He became just the second African American to hold the job. He led the city for eight years.
That role carried weight. Miami Gardens is the largest majority-Black city in Florida. As mayor, he also became a familiar champion of the city’s signature Jazz in the Gardens festival.
In 2020, he won a seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission in District 1. Then, in December 2022, his colleagues unanimously elected him chairman of the commission.
Locals know him for one more thing, too. Gilbert rarely appears in public without a bow tie. That makes for a fun swap on Capitol Hill. After all, Wilson made her colorful cowboy hats a trademark in Washington. Now her successor brings a signature look of his own.
What He Ran On
Affordability sat at the center of his campaign. He pointed to the rising cost of housing, gas and groceries as the biggest worries for District 24 voters.
He also pushed to expand access to health care. On tough issues, he pitched a practical approach. If Congress cannot fix a problem all at once, he argued, it should move step by step.
What Oliver Gilbert’s Win Means for FAMU
FAMU’s alumni network had a night to remember. Now three Rattlers have claimed major wins in one election: a governor, a lieutenant governor and a member of Congress.
For more on the school’s alumni, check out our Florida A&M University coverage. You can also catch up on our Keisha Lance Bottoms coverage from election night.
What Comes Next
Gilbert will be sworn in when the new Congress convenes in January. Before then, he will need to step away from the county commission and set up his Washington office.
Meanwhile, CBS Miami has more on the race and how he won it.
Stay with HBCU Buzz for continued coverage of Congressman-elect Oliver Gilbert as he heads to Capitol Hill.
